1. GIS Data in the UW Libraries and Beyond Spring 2007 gis@lib.washington.edu

2. Overview Libraries Services Data collections How to find data Washington State sources Regional sources State statistical sources (briefly) Census sources Federal sources And how to find it if you don’t see it… Metadata

3. Libraries Services GIS Service Policy: "The Libraries provides UW students, faculty and staff with access to geographic information systems (GIS) software and data owned by the Libraries…When requesting data, please leave a 48-hour turnaround (work days only) to receive data... (con’t)

4. Libraries Services (con’t) “Library staff are available to meet one-on-one with UW students, staff and faculty, and to assist in retrieving data. Please contact GIS staff via email at gis@lib.washington.edu ”

5. Objectives Provide access to GIS and desktop mapping software Identify, acquire and provide access to digital geospatial and statistical data Help patrons determine their data needs and assist with locating data Help patrons incorporate data into projects

6. Library staff work with Students, staff, faculty From any campus department Geography, Urban Planning, Geology, Forest Resources, Public Health, English, History, and others Public

7. Software & Equipment UW Libraries GIS Lab – G004 Suzzallo Library ArcGIS 9.X (ArcView, Arc/Info, older versions), others Encarta, MapPoint, Streets & Trips, etc. 20 Machines can be used for data consultation and time for basic manipulation before taking data away Access to color printers, plotters

8. Collections Collection focuses on Seattle, Puget Sound, Washington State Also collections for the United States, international data, individual countries Data is listed in catalog Ask if you can’t find it. It might be on order, or be able to be ordered.

9. GIS Data Types of GIS data Social and economic data - Census data, demographics, government information (local, state and federal) Physical-environmental data - geology, hydrology, etc. Can include streets, parcel data, rivers, lakes and drainage, soils, geology, air quality information, median household income, etc.

10. Data formats Vector (points, lines, polygons) e.g., bus stops, streets, parcels Raster (cells) e.g., digital elevation models Image, e.g., digital aerial photography, digital raster graphics Statistical, e.g.,.dbf files, Excel, Access,.csv,.txt, e.g., assessor’s files

11. Digital Raster Graphic (DRG)

12. City of Seattle

13. Digital Orthophoto

14. Data producers Local governments Examples: City of Seattle, King, Pierce, Thurston, Snohomish counties Federal government USGS, USFS, US Census WA State DNR, DOT, Ecology Various regional and other organizations, e.g., Puget Sound Regional Council

15. Data Restrictions Some is restricted by license agreement to UW students, staff and faculty only Full use for academic & research purposes Permissions needed for publishing (includes the Web)

16. Restrictions Much is public domain (anything from US government, for example) Can be used for any purpose No matter the purpose, make sure your citations are correct: Cartographic Citations: A Style Guide, by Suzanne M. Clark, Mary Lynette Larsgaard, Cynthia M. Teague. On the Maps Reference Shelf at GA 108.7.C55 1992

17. Finding GIS data Introduction to: Finding data in UW catalog Other UW data sites Washington State sources State statistical sources (briefly) Regional Sources Census sources Federal Sources And how to find it if you don’t see it listed…

18. Acquiring data Download Purchase Data sharing Regardless, be aware of: Licensing and restrictions Public domain vs. private

19. Washington State sources UW Libraries Catalog, http://catalog.lib.washington.educatalog.lib.washington.edu Keywords Name of the area you’re interested in, plus “computer file” and “maps” e.g.: seattle and computer file and maps Much public domain data is available through UW, via interlibrary loan or direct download

20. Washington State resources http://wagda.lib.washington.edu Washington State Geospatial Data Archive. Data available for downloading, includes Washington DEMs, Washington geology, Seattle, King County, etc. Primarily Arc/Info, ArcView formats

21. Washington State resources Washington State Geospatial Clearinghouse, wa-node.gis.washington.edu wa-node.gis.washington.edu Like a library catalog Links to WA-created metadata, some downloadable data Connects to international (searchable) network of metadata nodes Other state clearinghouses Eg, Alaska (http://agdc.usgs.gov/) and Georgia (http://www.gis.state.ga.us/)http://agdc.usgs.gov/http://www.gis.state.ga.us/

22. Washington State resources Subject-tree guide to subjects in library www.lib.washington.edu/subject/ Map Collection homepage www.lib.washington.edu/subject/maps/ www.lib.washington.edu/subject/maps/ Data contacts page for Washington State wagda.lib.washington.edu/datacontacts/ wagda.lib.washington.edu/datacontacts/

23. Washington State sources GIS Data Depot, www.gisdatadepot.com www.gisdatadepot.com Terraserver, terraserver.microsoft.com (photos can now be used in GIS, instructions: wagda.lib.washington.edu/data/doqs.ht ml)terraserver.microsoft.com wagda.lib.washington.edu/data/doqs.ht ml

24. Washington State sources Department of Transportation, www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/geodatacatalo g/default.htm www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/geodatacatalo g/default.htm Office of Financial Management, www.ofm.wa.gov/geographic/index.htm www.ofm.wa.gov/geographic/index.htm Ecology, www.ecy.wa.gov/services/gis/index.html www.ecy.wa.gov/services/gis/index.html Health, http://198.187.3.168/gis/default.htmhttp://198.187.3.168/gis/default.htm WA GAP, www.wa.gov/wdfw/wlm/gap/dataprod.htm www.wa.gov/wdfw/wlm/gap/dataprod.htm

25. Washington State sources To purchase: WA Department of Natural Resources USGS: earthexplorer.usgs.govearthexplorer.usgs.gov Contact various counties directly (some sell data, some give it away free, some seek data swaps)

26. State statistical data Good first source for many topics: access.wa.gov access.wa.gov www.lib.washington.edu/subject/GovLaw/ Various US government sites, for example www.epa.gov www.epa.gov Government Publications (Libraries) CSSCR, Center for Social Science Computation and Research, http://julius.csscr.washington.edu/ http://julius.csscr.washington.edu/

27. Regional Data Sources Examples of water/fish-related information: Interior Columbia Ecosystem Management Project, www.icbemp.gov/spatial/www.icbemp.gov/spatial/ Streamnet, www.streamnet.orgwww.streamnet.org Fish Passage Center, www.fpc.org/links.html www.fpc.org/links.html

28. Census GIS data on the web Population data www.census.gov/population/www/index.html Housing data www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing.html Census geography data in general www.census.gov/geo/www/index.html www.esri.com/censuswatch TIGER/Line data in particular http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/

29. Federal Sources Different agencies with different foci: FCC, http://www.fcc.gov/oet/info/maps/http://www.fcc.gov/oet/info/maps/ BIA, http://www.doi.gov/bureau-indian- affairs.htmlhttp://www.doi.gov/bureau-indian- affairs.html USF&W, http://wetlands.fws.gov/downloads.htmhttp://wetlands.fws.gov/downloads.htm Branches within agencies. (USGS, EPA): USGS global land characterization, http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/programs/lccp/globalla ndcover.html http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/programs/lccp/globalla ndcover.html http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Hazards/DataSets/Wash ington/framework.html http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Hazards/DataSets/Wash ington/framework.html US EPA data management and analysis

30. Federal Sources Specific, individual reports, such as USGS Open File Reports, http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/ http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/ National Soil Survey Center (USDA), http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/soilsurvey/ http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/soilsurvey/ NEPAnet, National Environmental Policy Act http://ceq.eh.doe.gov/nepa/nepanet.htm National Map Seamless Data Distribution System http://seamless.usgs.gov/

31. Finding GIS data on the web Directories and search engines: http://gis.about.com/ (directory) http://gis.about.com/ www.google.com (search engine) www.google.com (also, www.altavista.com, www.hotbot.com, and many others)www.altavista.comwww.hotbot.com

32. Search engines Keywords: name of the area you’re interested in, plus terms like: GIS, Shapefile, Coverage,.e00, Download, Data Example: washington state and gis Example: Salmon and gis and washington state Salmon and gis and pacific northwest Salmon and gis

33. Local GIS groups Central Puget Sound GIS User Group, cps-gis@u.washington.edu. List as well as monthly meetings. cps-gis@u.washington.edu The Northwest GIS User Group (formerly ESRI-NW) www.nwesriusers.org, yearly conference www.nwesriusers.org

34. International GIS groups ESRI-L, ArcView-L Invaluable for technical assistance and data questions (some support requires paid access). See support.esri.com/support.esri.com/ Many other lists available, some software- specific, others discipline-specific. See lists.directionsmag.com/discussion/ for lists and searchable archives. lists.directionsmag.com/discussion/

35. Other sources Commercial vendors (ESRI, of course) Ask local GIS users and other colleagues Research groups, nonprofits, other colleges/universities Libraries, academic and otherwise

36. Listservs Arcview-l ESRI-l MapInfo-l GIS in public health Many, many more. See the list of lists at www.directionsmag.com/discussion, with searchable archives and subscription information for eachwww.directionsmag.com/discussion

37. Organizations www.urisa.org / www.waurisa.org www.urisa.orgwww.waurisa.org www.esri.com (search Your Speciality, conference proceedings) www.esri.com ESRI-NW, Pacific Salmon Information Network, etc. Other vendors, www.mapinfo.comwww.mapinfo.com Other associations’ conference proceedings

38. After downloading… Unzipping (www.winzip.com)www.winzip.com Importing, changing format http://www.gisdatadepot.com/helpdesk/formats.ht ml http://www.gisdatadepot.com/helpdesk/formats.ht ml Check your software’s translation capabilities Attaching attribute information Remember to use your software’s help files! Some more help: wagda.lib.washington.edu/help/faq.html wagda.lib.washington.edu/help/faq.html

39. Metadata Metadata is “data about the data” Shows lineage, data quality, methods, modifications, etc. Helps determine “fitness for use” It’s imperative to get this for every data set you download! Clearinghouse & USGS DEM ExampleExample

40. Needs Assessment Lists a few points to consider before you start looking for data Write these down and take a document to the map librarian – easier for them to understand what you want, when you have a good idea of what you want Ask for help: gis@lib.washington.edugis@lib.washington.edu

41. Other GIS help on campus Main UW GIS site at http://gis.washington.edu http://gis.washington.edu Software and analysis questions to help@gis.washington.edu help@gis.washington.edu Data questions to gis@lib.washington.edu gis@lib.washington.edu